


Impossible/ It's Possible

by elemie89



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Diner Girl Rey, F/M, Prince Ben Solo, Secret Identity, evil stepfather Unkar Plutt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-08-13 09:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20172295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elemie89/pseuds/elemie89
Summary: A Cinderella Story (2004) given the Reylo treatment.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpaceWaffleHouseTM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceWaffleHouseTM/gifts).

> Based Upon this prompt: "Movie: A Cinderella Story. Ben’s the football playing prince and Rey’s Diner girl. Of course sparks fly at the ball, but how fast things move is up to you." 
> 
> Waffles...little did you know your prompt would be gifted to someone who's favorite Disney Princess is Cinderella/ loves all incarnations of the fairy tale. You're an amazing presence in our humble community and I hope you enjoy my adaptation of your prompt. 
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta for giving this the once over <3

[](https://imgur.com/SJMahMZ)

“Finn, what are they all staring at?” Rey asks as she reaches the door of the gymnasium. 

Her blue tulle skirt is gathered in her hands and her heart is pounding. Their stares are doing nothing to quell the anxiety in her heart. 

“They’re staring at you peanut,” he whispers in her ear. 

_Just keep walking_, she tells herself. _You’re wearing a mask, there’s no way they _actually _know_ _who you are. _She looks down at the jeweled butterflies covering her dress. It’s only now that the irony of what she’s wearing to the Halloween dance hits her. 

***

_ “Come here, child, let me get a look at you,” Maz implores, waving her closer after Rey takes a step out of the bedroom. _

_ Rey waves her arms around, seeking approval. _

_ Maz hums. “It suits you.” _

_ “Really? A ball gown?” she asks incredulously. _ As if this whole thing wasn’t cliched enough, _ she thinks. _

_ “You look beautiful, Rey,” Finn beams at her. _

_ “You’re contractually obligated as my best friend to say that,” Rey teases. _

_ “I’m under no such obligation,” Maz interjects, “and you look absolutely lovely, my dear.” _

_ “This Kylo Ren fellow would be a fool not to fall for you immediately,” Poe says with that same beaming smile on his face. He’s too sweet. _

_ “Rey, look in my jewelry box. There’s probably something you can use in there,” Maz offers. _

_ With shaky fingers, Rey obliges Maz. _

***

Dressing up as Cinderella at a Halloween dance, expecting to meet a man that Rey has held up as her own person Prince Charming for the past few months? If Rey wasn’t so nervous, she’d be laughing at this whole situation. She’s silent cursing the Discord server that brought her and Kylo Ren together. 

***

_ <Kylo_Ren 09/06/18 at 10:30 PM: Here’s the link for that SAT prep website, if you’re still interested> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 09/06/18 at 10:31 PM: Much appreciated! Thanks!> _

_ She bites her lip. Truth is, she’d been wanting to DM this Kylo Ren dude for quite some time now. Rey had heard there was a Discord server set up for people who were seeking admission to Princeton in the fall from her best friend, Rose Tico. She joined, looking to maybe connect with some prospective students. At first she has a bit of hesitation because she hasn’t been accepted yet. It quickly fades after she interacts late one night shortly after she first joins with the enigma known as Kylo Ren. _

_ He was mysterious, intriguing and exciting. She found out this Kylo Ren went to Naboo High, the same as her. The night he first DM’s her, they stay up until two am. _

***

Her eyes flit all over the room. She takes out her phone from the weathered white leather clutch she borrowed from Maz and looks at the time. It’s 10:59--she sucks in a huge breath, almost time to meet Kylo Ren. 

***

_ <Kylo Ren 10/20/19 at 5:55 pm: Tickets to the Hallowen dance went on sale today. Will I see you there?> _

_ Rey bit her lip. This is a new development. It’s the first sign of romantic interest that Kylo has expressed. It’s not like she doesn’t want him to. She’s about ninety percent positive she feels the same about him as well. She bites her thumb while considering her response. _ Flirt with him, _ her girlish side pleads. _ He’s just being nice, _ her sense of self-preservation says. _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/20/19 6:00 pm: Not really my scene, but if you’re there it might very well become my scene. _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/21/19 at 6:02 pm: Maybe we can finally meet> _

_ Time stops for just a fraction of a second as Rey reads that message over and over again. She feels dizzy and all the oxygen is sucked out of the room. He wants to meet her? Rey Johnson...the girl the kids at Naboo High call “Diner Girl”. Why? Because she works insane hours at her guardian, Unkar Plutt’s diner. _

_ If Kylo—whoever he was—knew that he was talking to Diner Girl, the girl with no family, threadbare clothes and no backup plan for college, he’d cut and run. Plain and simple. _

_ As she’s considering her response, Plutt calls and demands she cover a shift. That’s all Rey’s good for in his eyes, a warm body to keep the machine moving. She chews her cuticle for half a moment and just types “We’ll see”. _

***

Finn offers her a reassuring smile as they head into the middle of the dance floor. He begins swaying to the beat of the Taylor Swift song the DJ is playing and urges Rey to do the same. Normally, Rey would be right there cutting a rug with Finn, but she feels so vulnerable and exposed, like all eyes are still on her. 

Her nerves are frayed. She tries not to jump out of her skin every time a new person comes into her periphery. Kylo will be showing up any second. Rey is not ready for any of this. Not even a little bit. 

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/30/19 at 6:30 am: Good morning. I couldn’t stop thinking about tomorrow maybe being our first meeting. I can’t stop smiling thinking about it. If you’re coming, meet me under the disco ball at 11. I’ll be wearing a prince costume.> _

No prince costumes in sight...yet. _ Where the hell is he? _Rey is slowly beginning to consider the possibility that this Kylo Ren fellow is just stringing her along. She’s been catfished. Before she can start mentally drafting her email to Nev and Max, she hears a silky baritone voice behind her. 

“Rey?” 

She turns around and nearly faints. 

***

_ “Girl! Just seated three at Table 5...get a move on!” Unkar Plutts gravely harsh voice rings through the restaurant. “And I’m taking 15% of your tips when you cash out!” _

_ “I’ll be right there!” Rey replies with her perfected fake smile, ignoring the fact that her “Princeton Fund” jar will be a few dollars short tonight due to Unkar’s greed. Gone are the days when she first started and he was only taking 5% of her tips. The amount went up unexpectedly one night and it hasn’t stopped. _

_ “What can I get for you guys?” Rey asks, looking up at the last second from her writing pad to see who she’s serving. _

_ She wants to groan audibly and get another server. It’s Ben Solo—the crowned prince/ football god of Naboo High—with his merry band of idiots Armitage Hux and Poe Dameron. _

_ She wants to slip in the back of the restaurant and bitch to Kylo about the one percent when she realizes Hux has been speaking to her. _

_ “Is your inability to hear me a pre-existing condition or…?” Hux asks with a condescending sneer. _

_ “Sorry, loud diner,” she replies apologetically. _

_ “I was simply asking if you had any gluten free options in this obvious health code violation of an establishment,” he repeats. _

_ Poe snickers out of politeness, but seems to have a case of second-hand embarrassment for Rey. _

_ “Don’t be such a dick, Armitage,” Ben says with a roll of his eyes. He regards Rey for a second. “Just bring his hangry ass a side salad.” _

_ She smiles and puts their orders in. _

_ When they leave the diner, Rey rolls over on her roller skates to bus their table. The bill came to $13, there’s exactly $13.25 left in cash on the table. _

_ “Fucking dicks!” Rey says a little too loudly. She quickly feels bad for swearing so loudly at her job, but she realizes it’s safe because the diner is damn near empty. The only sounds she can hear are the line cook, Chewie loading some dishes in the dishwasher. _

_ Rey continues to curse the crowd that just left under her breath, muttering nasty things about them and their mothers as she picks up their dishes. She throws them in the grey bucket with just enough force to be heard, but not enough to break them. It’s a mildly satisfying moment for her, but it soon turns to embarrassment when she spins on her skates and nearly crashes into Ben Solo. _

_ She’s stunned for a second, but soon regains her composure. “Did you forget something?” _

_ “The poor excuses for humans I call friends told me they stiffed you on the tip,” he replies, holding out a folded bill. _

_ Rey narrows her eyes. It’s probably Monopoly money, but she’ll bite. She takes the money. “Thanks.” _

_ He nods at her with pursed lips. “Have a good night…” his voice trails off as he looks at her nametag, “Regina.” _

_ He leaves the diner, jingling the bell above the door when he leaves. She looks at the folded bill in her hand. A five dollar bill. Absolutely gobsmacked at the thought of Ben Solo being _ nice _ to her, Rey lacks the ability to move. _

_ “Girl!” Unkar Plutts voice cuts through the silence. “You gonna stand there or bring those dishes back to Chewie?” _

_ “I’m coming Unkar! Remember the Sewage and Water Board says with this drought…” _

_ “Ah forget about the damn drought,” he begins, “I have a business to run and I’ll be damned if I let the city council tell me when I can and can’t wash my dishes!” _

_ Later when she leaves the diner, she checks her phone. _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/1/19 at 6:36 pm: Can I be honest with you?> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/1/19 at 9:57 pm: Please do. _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/1/19 at 10:03: I feel like a fraud. I’m tired of wearing a mask. I’m tired of trying to live up to people's expectations. I just feel like I can’t show people who I truly am and you’re the only one who understands me.> _

_ <10:04: Too much?> _

_ <10:05: Sorry, that *was* too much.> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/1/19 at 10:06 pm: No! Not too much! I know what you mean. Sometimes I just feel so isolated and alone.> _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/1/19 at 10:06 pm: You’re not alone.> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/1/19 at 10:07 pm: Neither are you.> _

_ That is the night everything changes. _

***

Rey’s about to faint, throw up, ascend to heaven or some combination of all three after she turns around. _ Ben Solo. _Kylo Ren is Ben Solo, Ben Solo is Kylo Ren. 

“Are you Rey?” 

She only manages a squeak and a nod. Finn is still standing near her and gives her a push to get closer to him before he walks away. 

“You _ are _Rey, right?” he confirms. 

She nods. 

He takes her hand and kisses it. _ Is this guy for real? He _ actually _ kissed her hand, like an honest to god prince from the movies. _A smile escapes from somewhere deep in Rey’s body. His lips lightly brush her knuckles and her body goes tingly. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

“You too,” she answers, that damn smile still plastered on her face. 

For whatever reason, Rey looks around and notices that people have started staring again. Ben takes a finger and places it on her jawline. He applies a slight amount of pressure and turns her head to make sure she’s only looking at him. 

“Remember what you told me about them?” 

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/15/19 at 4:45: Another day in the hallowed halls of Naboo High in the books.> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/15/19 at 4:46 pm: Rough day at the office?> _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/15/19 at 4:48 pm: Sometimes I wish I could just tell these people that once they get out of high school, none of this materialistic bullshit will matter> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/15/19 at 4:50: LMAO you sound like such a Holden Caufield cliché rn dude> _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/15/19 at 4:51pm: God, I do, Don’t I?> _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/15/19 at 4:55 pm: Heading into work rn. _

_ <4:55 pm: But you’re right. Their vapid lives won’t matter once we’re in Princeton and we see life beyond Naboo> _

Somehow him quoting her words reassures Rey someplace deep inside that she’s found only he can reach—like a soothing scent or a cozy blanket. He’s worked some sort of special magic on her that when he asks her to dance, she accepts with no hesitation in her body whatsoever. It’s only now that Rey notices they’ve switched to a slow song. Still at ease—this is okay, for now. 

“Can I be honest?” Rey asks, breaking the silence. 

“Please do,” Ben answers. 

“You’re not at all what I expected,” Rey admits with a laugh. 

“You were expecting more Ed Sheeran, less Tom Brady?” Ben asks with an expression of amusement spreading across his face.

“You could say that,” she replies as Ben spins her. 

He pulls her close again and stares into her hazel eyes. “You have beautiful eyes. How could I have not noticed you?” 

Rey eases a bit more at the revelation he doesn’t recognize her. _ If he ever knew, he’d regret this whole thing _. “Maybe you need sharper observation skills, Solo.” 

Ben smirks. “Clearly.” 

The song stops and the DJ begins to hype the students up to dance once more. Soon, the noise of pop music fills the gym. Ben and Rey attempt to dance along with the music and talk, but the sound is too deafening and not conducive to conversation. After Rey asks Ben to repeat himself for the 5th time, he leans in her ear and asks if she wants some air. 

Rey nods. She’s almost worked herself up to the point where she might be brave enough to take her mask off, revealing to Ben who she truly is. Almost. Maybe in the safety of solitude, she can quietly confess to him her identity. She knows what will happen after that. He’ll become embarrassed for giving her the time of day, excuse himself and rejoin his friends in the gym and they’ll never speak of it again. 

Despite the fact that Rey is now one hundred percent certain she’s fallen for Kylo/ Ben, learning his identity crushes her in a small way. He’s truly the first person to ever understand her on such a level that’s astounding, Rey previously thought it wasn’t possible. However, Kylo/ Ben had proven it to be true. 

As fate would have it, anything else with him is just not possible. They only have until 11:45. 

***

_ “Girl! Where are you?” Unkar calls from his office. _

_ “Coming!” Rey yells back, a tray with 5 drinks in hand. _

_ She delivers the drinks to the appropriate table and runs off to her boss/ legal guardian’s office. _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Girl, you’re working a double tonight. Tallie called out sick,” he says, not looking up from whatever book he’s writing in. _

_ “But you said I could have the night off…” _

_ A look flashes across his face. The look that says this isn’t up for discussion. “After all I’ve done for you, you insist on being selfish? You’re staying here tonight and working and you _ ** _better_ ** _ be here when I come back from my poker game at midnight.” _

_ Rey flinches, but tries not to let him see and leaves the office quickly. She rushes past a table asking for help and into the women’s bathroom. She locks the door. As soon as she’s alone, she slides down the door, hot tears running down her face. _

_ He takes everything—her money, her time, and now this? How is this fair? She just wants to go to the Halloween Dance, eat a bunch of candy with Finn and maybe meet Kylo_Ren. Now even her night of fun has been taken. _

_ As she wipes a tear from her face, she pulls her phone out of her pocket. She toggles over to her countdown app and looks at the days until she can leave her own personal hell. _

***

“I almost didn’t come here tonight,” Rey says as she walks through a door to the quad by the art hallway. 

“Cold feet?” 

“Evil boss.” 

“Ah,” Ben hums in understanding. “How’d you manage to get away?” 

“I had a little help,” she replies with a sly smile.

***

_ The bathroom door handle jiggles as Rey checks her countdown app. _

_ “Just a minute,” she yells and she’s just self conscious enough to realize that she’s crying on a dirty floor. _

_ “Rey, you in there, my dear?” Maz asks from the other side of the door. _

_ She stands, brushes her jeans off, and sniffles. “Yeah, I’ll be right out.” _

_ “Your friend is here to take you to the dance,” Maz says matter-of-factly. _

_ Shit, now she’s going to have to disappoint Finn on top of the already soul-crushing ache in her chest from her own disappointment. “C-can you tell him I can’t go? That Unkar is being a huge douchebag and I can’t go…” _

_ “Open the door, Rey,” Maz’s tone brooks no argument. _

_ Rey does as she’s told. _

_ “What’s this foolishness about not going to the dance? It’s all you’ve been able to talk about for the last week!” Maz gesticulates wildly. _

_ “I guess,” Rey says, her voice meek and small. _

_ “Plus you have to meet your mystery suitor,” Maz adds with a wink. _

_ “How…?” _

_ “Don’t insult my intelligence, child. I know and see all.” _

_ Rey can’t argue her that. “You know Unkar will fire me and kick me out if I’m not here when he gets back from his poker game.” _

_ “Rey, there’s still three hours between then and now,” Finn points out, having made his way over to the bathroom. “You can still be back in time.” _

_ “He’s right,” Maz shrugs. _

_ Rey looks between her two friends—her guardian angels who are saving this night for her. It’s risky, this plan they’re proposing, but if it works...well, risk/ benefit analysis says the risk is worth it. The rational part of her brain screams no, she doesn’t deserve this, but the pleading look on Finn’s face says she deserves a night to be a normal teenager who doesn’t work forty hours a week. _

_ “Okay, I’ll do it,” she relents, “but I don’t have anything to wear.” _

_ Maz claps her hands together with a mischievous grin. “Leave that to me.” _

***

They walk to the center of the quad to a circular bench and sit. The dance planning committee spared no expense, placing orange lights even in the quad. The glow from the lights danced across their faces as Ben studies Rey’s face. They manage to fall into their familiar conversation. He’s looking for some sort of clue as to her identity, but Rey knows he won’t find one. His gaze finds her way a time or two but he’s never really _ seen _ her. 

“So, do you feel comfortable taking off the mask, now that we’re alone?” 

Her fight or flight response that awoke upon first seeing that Kylo was Ben Solo reawakens. She wants to follow through with her earlier plan of pushing him away by revealing her identity. However, there’s a small part of her that wants to keep the mystery alive, keep talking to him. It’s a war and Rey’s not sure which side will win. 

“I’m scared that if you find out who I am, you’ll think this is all a big mistake,” Rey blurts out, unsure of how that managed to come out of her mouth. 

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Ben says, inching closer. Rey can feel her resolve begin to weaken.

“You say that now…” 

“Rey, I may not know you, but I _ know _ you. Nothing is going to change my mind about how I feel.” 

_ How I feel. _This confirmation thrills and frightens her all at once, but she knows she can’t take off the mask. Ever. It’s going to be so hard when she has to leave in...how many more minutes does she have left? 

Despite all this, Ben is inching closer to Rey and she’s not doing anything to stop him nor give him any sign she doesn’t want this. Maybe she does want this. She considers the implications of all this as Ben pushes a lock of hair behind her ear. 

The featherweight touch is enough to make her throw caution to the wind. She still won’t take off the mask, but she’ll let him kiss her—if he wants. When she’s old and grey, she can brag to Finn’s kids that their aunt made out with the hot quarterback. 

Rey just notices the hand that Ben used to push away a lock of hair is shaking. It’s a small comfort knowinghe’s as scared out of his mind as she is. 

He’s so close now. There’s no doubt about what’s going to happen. Rey closes her eyes. 

_ I STAY OUT TOO LATE. GOT NOTHING IN MY BRAIN. _

Panic rises up in Rey. That’s the alarm Finn set on her phone to signal that it’s 11:45–time to head back to the diner. She pulls her phone from her clutch and silences the alarm. 

“Ignore it,” Ben pleads. 

“I can’t,” she pushes him away and stands up. “I have to go.” 

She gathers her dress in her hands and runs away—away from this perfect fantasy of a night and back to reality. With a million thoughts swirling in her head, she doesn’t notice she drops her phone.

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Waffles, its ya boy, {redacted}...back again with another chapter. I'm so happy you're loving this as well as everyone else who gave it a read!

Ben Solo holds on to the baby blue fliers like they’re his lifeline. He knows the idea of plastering them around the school to find his mystery date is absolutely ridiculous, but really it’s all Poe Dameron’s fault for suggesting this idea. 

***

_ Ben is lamenting the fact that he couldn’t find this perfect girl he’d been talking to. Poe, only half paying attention to what Ben was saying, says:  _

_ “Why don’t you just plaster fliers all over the school asking if anyone knows who it is?”  _

_ “Wait, you’ve actually been paying attention to what I’m saying and not furiously texting someone? Which, by the way...who are you talking to?”  _

_ “Nobody,” Poe says with an uncharacteristic blush.  _

_ “Uh huh,” Ben says, not impressed. Ben looks at his watch. “Okay, I have to get to work.”  _

_ “Ah yes, Millenium Falcon Repairs awaits.”  _

_ It’s a Sunday and Ben knows his dad’s luxury car repair shop will be deader than a cemetery at two A.M. in January. While his dad steps out for lunch, Ben quickly throws together a flier in search of Rey.  _

_ He stops when his dad returns and throws envelopes down on the table. “You mind explaining to me what this is?”  _

Shit, I thought I hid those pretty well,  _ he thinks. “Well, they’re acceptance letters from colleges.”  _

_ “Ben, we talked about this. You’re going to USC, like your mom and I,” Han Solo says with a sigh.  _

_ “I...I know,” Ben stammers. “I was just feeling out my options.”  _

_ “You don’t need options,” Han says with that trademark Solo smirk. He begins to leave the office, mercifully leaving Ben alone, but turns before “You’re gonna be a Trojan next August.”  _

_ Ben groans. Why is it so hard to tell his dad he doesn’t want to go to a college where the mascot is also a condom brand? Why is so hard to tell his dad he wants to be a writer and go to Princeton? It’s just a simple sentence, why is it so hard to utter it? _

***

“I can’t believe you’re actually fucking doing this,” Poe says, looking at his cell phone, neglecting to hand Ben a piece of tape. 

“Can you just stop your bitching and hand me the tape?” 

Ben posts another sign. 

“You’ve practically covered every inch of this hallway in that god awful baby blue. I think you’re good.” 

Ben sighs. “Fine. Let’s hit the quad.” 

Hux comes into view with the ever present look of disdain on his face. “You’re welcome.” 

“You covered the quad?” 

“And a little something extra,” Hux replies with a smirk. 

“Holy shit, you did it?” Poe scoffs. 

Mitaka comes running up to join them. “Did you tell him?” 

Hux rolls his eyes. “Almost, until you came running up like a buffoon.” 

Ben eyes his three friends with suspicion. “What’s going on?” 

Poe slaps a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Come with me buddy.” 

Ben should have known better than to trust the band of idiots he calls his friends to handle something like this with care, but he did it anyway. He’s regretting that choice as he lets them lead him out into the quad. What he sees makes him want to run. The three idiots have actually set up a table in the quad. A sign saying “The Bachelor: Naboo High Edition” covers the table and a line of over-eager female students are lined up. 

“You three are dead to me,” he says, before sitting at the table. 

He pulls out the phone that Rey dropped from his backpack. This has also been his lifeline, his connection to Rey. She’s been radio silent in their Princeton Discord server and in their private message. Ben never thought he could miss anyone he’d never met, but then again he never thought he’d develop feelings for someone he met online. His friends might not be taking this seriously, but he doesn’t have any better ideas on how to find Rey. With a sigh, he sits down at the table. 

Poe slaps a fake rose down on the table. “For when you find her,” he says with a wink. 

“Are you shitting me?” he asks with raised eyebrows. 

Poe just laughs. “Okay, contestant number one, please step up and see if Ben Solo is your Prince Charming.” 

Ben rolls his eyes. The first girl steps up. He knows she’s too short just by looking at her. She isn’t Rey, but he’ll give her a fair shot. 

“Hi!” she says a little too enthusiastically. “I’m Shelby!” 

“Hi Shelby,” he says with a smile. “If you’re Rey, tell me the passcode for your phone.” 

“Umm,” she hesitates and the enthusiasm drops from her face. “1-2-3-4?” 

Ben offers her a sympathetic smile. He’s already tried that code, just in case Rey is not as tech savvy as she lets on. “I’m sorry, that’s not it.” 

“Damnit,” Shelby says with a whine. She stomps her foot and walks away. 

On and on it goes, one girl after the next. They don’t know the passcode. Half of them just say it’s 1-2-3-4, a quarter say it’s their birthday, and the rest say a combination of random numbers. Before he knows it, the bell for the next period rings and Ben has to move out of the quad and get back to class. Poe throws the fake rose at him “just in case he finds her”. He’s beginning to think he never will. 

Just when he thinks this day could not get any worse, his ex-girlfriend, Bazine Netal, stops him in the hall. She wants a word about this whole Rey business. He only half pays attention. She’s been angling to get back together with him since they broke up over the summer. She wasn’t a bad girlfriend by any stretch of the imagination—they just didn’t work together. 

“Ben, you’re  _ embarrassing _ yourself with this whole situation. Have you ever considered this ‘Rey’ doesn’t want to be found? I mean, does she even go here?” Bazine says, standing a little too close to Ben for comfort. 

“She’s out there,” Ben says, moving back a hair. “I just have to keep looking.” 

“You’re not going to drop this are you?” she huffs.

How can he? No one’s ever bothered to get to know the man underneath the football uniform like Rey has. He can’t just drop a connection like that, no matter how difficult it is finding her. 

Everyone expects him to go to USC and become a first-round NFL draft pick. No thank you. It’s just a means to an end. If football gets him a full ride to Princeton where he can study English in peace, then become a writer—so be it. 

“No, I don’t think I will, Baz,” he says with a smirk, pushes himself off the locker he was leaning on, and walks away. 

He’s walking down the hall toward his next class when he spots a face he thinks he recognizes. A girl with shoulder-length chestnut hair and freckles. It’s bugging him that he can’t place her, but when he sits down in his next class the feeling passes—she’s the girl who waited on him at that charming little diner a few weeks ago. 

***

Finn pulls a flier down off the wall and practically shoves it in Rey’s face. “Look, dude! He wants to see you again. Ben Solo wants to see you again!” 

Rey’s eyes practically pop out of her skull. “Keep your voice down!” 

“I’m just saying,” he continues in a more hushed tone. 

She bites her lip and for the smallest fraction of a second, she considers marching up to Ben Solo, demanding her phone back, and announcing she’s his Rey.  _ His _ Rey. That phrasing just makes Rey feel something in her soul—like something deep inside of her has been awakened. Being wanted...actually wanted by someone is something new, thrilling, and terrifying. She can’t decide if she wants to run headfirst into it or run screaming from it. 

“You know I can’t tell him,” she says, and she knows that’s the part of her brain that’s been working overtime since she’s started talking to him–the part of her brain tasked with self-preservation. 

“Why not?” Finn challenges. 

Rey sighs and flares her nostrils a bit. “Okay, you tell Poe Dameron that it was you, in your Zorro costume, that made out with him at the Halloween dance, you’ve been texting him since Saturday, and I’ll go tell Ben Solo my passcode.”

Finn stops cold in his tracks. “Rey you know I can’t do that…” 

Rey sighs. “Right. Sorry.” 

Finn sighs. “Looks like we’re both hiding who we are.” 

They continue down the hallway. Rey’s still silently contemplating if joining the hoard of girls claiming to be her is a good idea. She’d heard that his friends had set up a table out in the quad and Ben Solo was in possession of her cell phone. Unkar yelled at her for losing it, but went to the cell phone store and re-activated one of his old iPhones so she could be at his beck and call when he needed. A true humanitarian. 

As they continue walking down the hall toward their next class, what Rey sees makes her want to bolt the other way. Ben Solo is standing, leaning against a locker talking to Bazine Netal. He looks annoyed and so does Bazine.

***

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/17/19 at 5:14 PM: Read a poem today that really spoke to me.  _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/17/19 at 6:00 PM: Please tell me you weren’t listening to Billy Connoly reading “The Charge of the Light Brigade” while playing Call of Duty again> _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/17/19 at 6:15 PM: Very funny. I actually found it on a poetry blog. It’s called “The Lonely Soul”:  _

_ Alone in the life _

_ He meets many other souls _

_ Who comes to be _

_ Unfit for the lonely soul _

_ The lonely soul wanders _

_ As the days pass by _

_ The lonely soul became _

_ More lonely, with no other _

_ souls as his companion _

_ The lonely soul wanders _

_ Rey gasps seeing those words. They’re beautiful. They hit her too. She realizes this Kylo and her aren’t terribly different.  _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/17/19 at 6:17 PM: Do you not have many friends at school?>  _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/17/19 at 6:20 PM: I do, but they treat me like I’m some sort of god. They don’t know me like you.>  _

_ <AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance 10/17/19 at 6:20 PM: So you have met a soul to act as your companion.> _

_ <Kylo_Ren 10/17/19 at 6:21 PM: Well, I haven’t met you...yet ;-)>  _

_ Rey flops down on her bed and flails and giggles. What is this Kylo doing to her?  _

  
  


***

Ben moves away from the locker and begins walking toward Rey and Finn. A thought seeps into her mind—how can one be so popular, yet feel so lonely. Rey is the only one who knows him. 

As he almost walks past her, she realizes this is the first time she’s seen him since Friday night and her heart is pounding so hard, she can hear it in her ears. 

She wills herself to keep calm, but every sensation from the dance comes flooding back to her—the way his hands felt on the small of her back, the scent of his spicy cologne (or did he just naturally smell that good?), and the way his fingers felt on her neck right before he almost kissed her. A tingling sensation floods her all over and her breath speeds up as he gets closer. 

He looks at her–not a huge, cosmic event by any stretch of the imagination. He’d done that before when she wasn’t wearing the mask, but he keeps looking. This is a new development. He’d never looked at her before for more than five seconds. A flicker of recognition flashes across his eyes and Rey has to stop herself from gasping. Does he know? He couldn’t possibly know. 

She bites her lip and she’s suddenly aware of how dry her throat is. She makes a mental note to get a water bottle at lunch. 

Rey tries to focus for the rest of the day, but she finds she can’t. Instead of the Hero’s Journey, she’s mulling over the pros and cons of putting herself out there. It’s not an easy thing. Who is she? She’s a nobody. The only thing she’ll be met with if she confesses is ridicule and scorn. 

_ They treat me like I’m some sort of god. They don’t know me like you.  _ His words reverberate in her mind. She chews on the eraser of her mechanical pencil. Maybe popular jock Ben Solo is just a facade and who she’s been interacting with is the real him. Maybe Rey does deserve something going well in her life for a change. She’ll never know until she tries.

After her English class is over, she makes a beeline for the library and their computers. Plutt’s old iPhone 5 didn’t support the newest version of Discord, so she needed to contact Ben on a desktop. She logs on and clicks on her DM with Ben. 

<AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance Today at 2:48 PM: I’m ready.> 

<Kylo_Ren Today at 2:49 PM: To take off the mask?> 

<AWomansPlaceisintheReysistance Today at 2:51 PM: I am. I’m done hiding.>

<Kylo_Ren Today at 2:55 PM: Good. Meet me on the quad at the start of 6th period tomorrow.> 

A smile spreads across Rey’s face. She’s terrified of what might happen when they meet. Heavens, is she terrified. But there’s something freeing in doing something for herself for the first time in her life. She grabs her messenger bag from next to her chair. In her haze of excitement, she forgets to log out of Discord and almost knocks over Bazine on her way out of the library. She’s too caught up in her own feelings to notice Bazine has sat down at the computer she was using. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ["The Lonely Soul"](https://musingsofrandomness.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/the-lonely-soul-by-anto-thermadam/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *_Strolls in late with coffee_* 
> 
> Sorry guys, I know this update is ridiculously late. This fic is all completed at this point, so updates should be quicker at this point. Please enjoy! 
> 
> As always, thank you to [commandercrouton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandercrouton) for beta'ing this and writing Ben's poem in this chapter!

That night, the diner is a hive of activity. Rey’s only been working for two hours, but her feet feel like they’re on fire. As luck would have it, Ben decides tonight is a perfect night to eat at the diner with a few friends from school. He’s not at one of Rey’s tables and she’s grateful for that fact. She can’t help but steal glances in his direction. He’s just too irresistible to look at. 

Rey’s in the middle of busing one table and getting another food order out when Finn bursts into the diner like he’s on fire. He’s slightly breathless, which baffles her because he owns a car. She’s bringing table five their milkshakes when he waves to grab her attention. She tells him to wait. He tells her it can’t wait. 

It’s the Thursday night dinner rush and he knows better than to bother her. Someone better be dying or bleeding to cause this intrusion. If Plutt sees her chatting...she doesn’t want to think about what will happen. 

Still, Finn came all this way for  _ something  _ and it doesn’t look like he’s leaving until he talks to Rey. She swallows the anxiety and bile rising up in her throat and goes to talk to him. 

“This better be good, Finn...I’m working!” She grumbles. 

“I know, I know...trust me, you need to see this,” he says, frantically tapping a few keys on his phone. 

She rolls her eyes. “See what?” 

Finn thrusts his phone in her face. He has the Facebook app open to Bazine’s page. It takes Rey a second to process what she’s posted, but once it clicks, she feels like she’s been doused in cold water. Bazine took pictures of Rey’s Discord chat with Ben. 

Her mouth goes dry. She hopes for a second that maybe Bazine hasn’t exposed her as the Rey that Ben Solo is looking for. That hope quickly fades when she reads the post. Both her and Ben (wait, when did she become Facebook friends with Bazine?) are tagged in the post. The queen bee of Naboo High is patting herself on the back for her excellent detective work, expecting adoration from both parties for her efforts. What a load of shit. 

Rey looks up from Finn’s phone for a split second and wishes she hadn’t. It seems the word has gotten out. All the eyes in the diner are now split between Rey and Ben.  _ This isn’t happening _ . A wave of adrenaline pulses through her body and everything is occurring in slow motion. 

Ben finally meets her eyes. He has his own phone in his hand. He knows. She searches his face for some sort of sign as to how he’s processing this revelation. He’s just as blindsided as she is. That’s a small comfort, but it lasts for a split second. He works his jaw and averts her gaze. 

And there it is—in that one expression, Rey has her answer. It’s rejection. She knew this was a possibility, but having it play out? It hurts on a whole different level. Ben had filled in the void where loneliness had reigned for so long. With that one look, the void rips open again. So much for his assurances that her identity wouldn’t change anything. 

Her breath hitches and speeds up. Her eyes are scanning the diner and she sees one kid from her school pointing at her and laughing. Rey wants to scream at him to stop, but she can’t...she’s paralyzed, rooted in her spot. 

_ This isn’t happening _ . 

This isn’t how she pictured this going at all. She wanted Ben to be the first to know. A private rejection from Ben would be hard to handle, but this public humiliation is a little more than Rey can handle. 

She can’t take the staring and laughing anymore, so she does the one thing she  _ can _ do. She runs. She grabs her backpack from behind the counter and runs out of the diner, still clad in her pink apron. Finn is hot on her heels, calling after her. 

When she reaches Finn’s car, she begins furiously pulling on the door handle, as if that will actually unlock the car. If she doesn’t get away from this place, she’s either going to start sobbing or throw up. The car chirps before her body can decide. She throws herself in the car. 

She closes her eyes and focuses on slowing her breathing down. 

“Are you okay?” Finn says, entering the car. 

“Just drive,” she says curtly, feeling her throat swell around her words. 

“Okay,” he replies, throwing the car in reverse. 

***

The next morning, Rey shows up at the diner for her normally scheduled shift. The inevitable tongue lashing she’ll receive from Plutt is not something she’s looking forward to, but Rey reports for work anyway. As messed up as it sounds, the diner is the only familiar place she has in this moment. Kylo Ren/ Ben  _ used  _ to be a source of comfort for her, but that all was shot to hell last night. 

When her alarm went off at four a.m. and she found herself on the couch in Finn’s parent’s living room, it was very tempting to hit the snooze button and just ignore everything in the world, but she didn’t. Rey didn’t know where else to go or what else to do, so she just went to work like every other day.

The usual morning crowd has shuffled in and Chewie begins whipping up all the pancakes and eggs as the orders roll in from the tables. Rey dutifully serves them and goes through the motions of being at work. She tries to manage a smile for her customers, but finds that she can’t. Her body is here, but her heart? Well, it sounds dramatic, but her heart was left on the floor of this very diner last night with that one look from Ben. The moment that thought crosses her mind, she rolls her eyes and pleads with herself to stop acting like some lovelorn woman from an angsty romance novel. 

She’s doing well at her tasks until Plutt storms in the diner about a half hour before she’s due to leave for school. Inevitably, he found out that she left the diner an hour before her shift was over. He’s clearly not happy. Rey knew this was coming, but it didn’t make facing it any easier. 

She expects to be pulled into his office and screamed at for a few minutes. She knows it’s coming. It’s happened before and she can take it. What she doesn’t expect is Plutt reaming into her in front of the morning customers. 

He begins by telling her how selfish she is for abandoning the diner. Rey blinks her eyes because she can’t believe that Plutt is stooping to this level of unprofessionalism. She casts her eyes to the floor as he continues his tirade she wants to curl up in a ball because customers have started staring. 

“I had something to do for school,” is her only defense when he reaches a natural stopping point to catch a breath. 

That sets him off even more. Plutt absolutely hates when she uses school as an excuse for not being at the diner. He doesn’t give a damn about her education. Never has, never will. She sighs as he falls into his usual rant about how she’s ungrateful for shirking her responsibilities at work. Rey closes her eyes because she just wants this to end. A few customers have even plopped cash down on the table without having being given their checks. Plutt is making everyone uncomfortable. 

It takes a few more minutes, but he mercifully finishes and stomps into his office, slamming the door behind him. She steadies herself with a few breaths and tries to go back to work, as if she hasn’t just been humiliated publicly twice in the span of twenty-four hours...in the same place, no less. 

She remembers that before Plutt burst in the diner, she was waiting on the sweet young couple at table two and the woman had asked for a refill on her water. Rey returns to table two with a shaky smile and even shakier legs. It’s a good thing she neglected to wear her roller skates this morning. 

After bringing the water to the table, Rey begins to clear a table that was vacated while Plutt was being an ass. She’s about to bring the dishes back when her day gets even worse. A small puddle of water she hadn’t seen earlier causes her to slip and fall. She drops all the dishes she’s carrying in the process. 

_ Great. Just fucking great.  _

Plutt hears the clatter from her mishap and emerges from his office. Rey’s not sure what comes over her in that moment, but something deep in her snaps. She’s not sure if it’s wiping the scraps of food off the floor, or it’s Plutt yelling at her for being so careless and threatening to take more of her tips. Maybe it’s the combination of both, but she’s done. Done taking crap from other people. Done accepting less than she deserves. She’s done. 

She grabs the plates off the floor and puts them in the gray bin. She pulls off her pink apron and sets it next to the gray bin. A calm has washed over her, never having been more sure of anything in her life. 

“Plutt, I quit,” she says evenly. 

Plutt’s ruddy face becomes even more red and he explodes as he processes her words. Rey’s pretty sure he’s swearing at her and using every mysogynistic term under the sun, but she can’t hear him. The sense of pride and freedom that’s welling up in her body drowns out his bullshit. Her chest feels ten pounds lighter as she takes her first steps out of the diner.

She feels like a new woman walking out. There’s a million questions to be answered, like where will she live and what will she do for money now? Maz has often told her if she needs a place to stay, her door is always open. One question off her list. She can search for jobs tomorrow or the next day, but right now she’s going to go to school and get an education like a normal teenager.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/em_is_writing)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 84 years, but this is finally complete! Thanks to everyone who came along on this ride with me and left comments and kudos. Now, please enjoy the thrilling conclusion of this tale! 
> 
> Many thanks to [commandercrouton](https://archiveofourown.org/users/commandercrouton) for the beta read and for writing Ben's poem in this chapter. Also, a huge thank you to [SpaceWaffleHouseTM](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceWaffleHouseTM/works) for this darling prompt.

Her newfound freedom exhilarates Rey. It’s like nothing can bring her down today. Well, maybe there is one thing, but she’s going to avoid _ that _at all costs. That is, until Finn suggests they go to the football game that night. When he suggests it, Rey steadies herself with a deep breath and agrees. It’s a football game. What can the harm be? 

The only thing she tries to think about as she rides in Finn’s car to the school is trying to figure out the rules of American football. The friends grab nachos from the concession stand and take seats to enjoy their evening. 

People give her the odd glance, but it doesn’t bother her as much as it did this morning. She can see the care etched on Finn’s face as he searches her own expression for a clue as to how she feels. 

“I’m fine,” she assures him as his head swivels toward a group of students who are conspicuously staring at them. 

“As long as you’re okay,” he shrugs. 

She nods to reinforce her words. “I have to use the ladies room, but I’ll be back.” 

She goes to tend to business and on her way back, the football team is lined up to make their entrance onto the field. Ben is at the head of the line. There’s no two ways about this. Rey’s going to have to pass him. A wave of anxiety about this prospect rolls over her body, but her newfound boldness and freedom tells it to fuck off. Her spine straightens and she walks. 

One of Ben’s teammates who’s facing Rey nudges him when he sees her. 

He turns to face her and Rey averts his gaze. She only meets his eyes when he calls her name. 

“No, I’m not doing this with you right now.” She continues walking. Her newfound attitude and boldness won’t let her get that far. There’s things Ben needs to hear and he needs to hear them now. She turns. “Actually, I will do this right now. Ben, I thought I knew who you were. Obviously, I didn’t know it was you, but I knew you. We told each other things no other soul has ever heard! I’m tired of settling for less and you’re tired of living under the weight of other people’s expectations. Well, guess what I did today? I stopped taking other people’s shit and started living for me. I quit the diner and now I’m free. Can you say the same?” 

Ben opens his mouth to speak, but he only stammers in response. 

“You could easily march up to your father and tell him that you don’t want to go to USC, but you won’t because you’re too scared. And I’m tired of waiting for you to stop being scared. I’m done because waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought...useless and disappointing.” 

_ Holy shit, _she thinks as she walks away. She’d been riding a high since she quit the diner, but she never thought it would lead to her being that bold. Rey can hold her head high, though, because she meant every word. There’s no shame or regret to be found because she did the right thing. 

When she rejoins Finn in the stands, the football team has taken their spots on the field. They’re close enough to Naboo High’s bench that she catches Ben’s eyes a few times. Ben quickly looks away every time that happens. It’s disheartening, but not surprising. Rey wonders if the Ben she met on the server will actually ever be seen in the real world. She wonders if he’ll tell his father his hopes and dreams and live for himself. Rey really wants him to, but he has to want to for himself. 

Naboo High wins the game and as the students file out of the stands, Rey sees a text from Maz. She’s offered her a place to live, which Rey suspected she would. Maz also offers her a lead on a job at a coffee shop one of her friends works at. Rey smiles and is thankful Maz is looking out for her. 

Rey goes to the coffee shop the next day. It’s a fairly unassuming coffee house, brown and tall from the outside. Inside, it’s beige with minimal vintage decor and a stage on the far end. She meets with the owner, Amilyn Holdo, a tall slender woman with purple hair. After a brief conversation with her, she’s hired on the spot. Rey didn’t think that happened anymore, but Holdo explains that Saturday night is their open mic night and she’s in dire need of help. She tells Rey to return at four to fill out the new hire paperwork and she’ll begin training immediately after. 

Rey’s not about to argue with this streak of good fortune. She shakes the managers hand and promises to return later that afternoon. 

She’s thrown into the deep end when she returns, but Rey’s up to the challenge. She’s clearing tables, delivering pastries and drinks...whatever is required of her. Her new co-workers seem nice enough. They’re mainly a few years older than her, but Rey doesn’t care. She begins to help one, a guy named Snap, set up for open mic night since she’s not very well-versed in the menu quite yet. 

The people for open mic night begin to file in and soon the place is packed. The first few acts are pretty good. The first is a guitarist who looks like he’s about to say, “Anyway, here’s ‘Wonderwall’” after his first song. He’s a decent singer, however, and Rey finds herself bopping along to his songs in between fetching snacks for customers. The second is a female comedian who has the whole place — and Rey — in stitches with riotous laughter. Rey won’t be surprised if she winds up with a Comedy Central special one day. 

After the applause for her dies down, a man comes to the counter asking for a black coffee. Rey turns her back toward the stage to get the man’s order ready. 

“Okay, next up on the stage we have a regular at Java’s Palace...please put your hands together for the poetry stylings of Kylo Ren!” comes Snap’s voice from the stage. 

It takes her brain a second to process what she just heard and for that, Rey is grateful. She has already handed the man his coffee when she realizes Snap said Kylo Ren was reading some of his poetry. Ben is on the stage, holding a notebook. They lock eyes and simultaneous gasps escape from both of them. He’s shocked by her presence here, that much is evident.

One singular thought keeps nagging her. Snap said he was a regular. Does this mean that he’s been sharing his poetry every Saturday night? Rey feels a twinge of guilt for what she said yesterday. Ben Solo keeps surprising her. 

The two of them are locked in this moment, acknowledging each other’s existence, but the trance is broken when Ben shakes his head and realizes people are waiting to hear him speak. His spiral notebook was open to one page when he walked up on stage, but now...he quickly flips to a later page and clears his throat. 

“This is..uh...a shorter poem that I wrote a few days ago,” he begins. 

_ My mind _

_ Overwrought and overused _

_ Lost in the eagerness to please _

_ My body _

_ Pummeled and exhausted _

_ Lost in the shadow of the father _

_ My heart _

_ Happy and connected _

_ Found in the screen _

_ And in the words created by a keyboard _

Applause breaks out in the coffee house, but Ben isn’t paying attention to any of it. His eyes are fixed on Rey. He’s seeking her approval, it’s a poem about her after all. Changing his poem at the last minute was his way of apologizing. If he’s sincere, if he’s truly the man she thinks he is, Rey is ready to forgive him. 

A tiny smile breaks out across her face thinking about the intimacy and the bond they formed without even meeting face to face. It amazes her how she can feel so deeply for a person. She’d never had that before. She didn’t want to throw it away then, nor does she find that she can walk away from Ben now after he’s bared his soul to her. 

He gives the crowd a wave of thanks and walks off the stage and straight out of the coffee house. And Rey? Well, she looks at her co-worker and asks to be excused for a second. She rushes out the door and fortunately for her, Ben hasn’t gotten too far. 

***

Ben shoves his hands in his pockets. What was he thinking changing his poem at the last minute? He saw Rey, standing behind the counter and all sense just left him. He’d never intended for anyone to actually hear those few lines he’d scribbled down the night he realized his feelings for her. She deserved an apology after not sticking up for her. This was the only way he knew how. 

“Ben!” a voice calls from behind him. He flinches. He wasn’t expecting anyone to follow him. He turns around and there she is. Rey had followed him. 

He works his jaw and swallows hard. They stare at each other in silence for a few moments. It’s not awkward, but neither of them knows how to begin the conversation. Cars drive past and street lights flicker until Ben breaks the silence. 

“I told my dad I’m not going to USC,” Ben says, looking down at the ground. “It took a bit of convincing, but he’s embracing the orange and black instead of red and gold.” 

Rey huffs out a breath and widens her eyes in surprise. Ben supposes this is a natural reaction. He wishes she’d say something though. The silence is deafening. He shifts in his spot and she takes a step closer to him. “Please say something.” 

His words apparently spur her into action. She closes the gap between them quickly, throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. Her enthusiasm causes their teeth to bump and they both wince in pain after only having touched lips for a few seconds. They pull back from one another and laugh. 

Rey face wrinkles in embarrassment. Ben doesn’t think he’s seen anything cuter as she slips her arms around his waist. “Sorry.” 

Ben puts his hand around her neck and brushes his thumb along her cheek. He moves to close the gap between them. “It’s ok. We have plenty of time to try again.” 

They almost do, but Rey places a hand on his chest to stop him. “Please tell me there’s footage of you going all _ Varsity Blues _ on you dad?” 

“Maybe,” Ben says and they both laugh. 

Their lips meet in a kiss, this time with no pain. Their tongues playfully spar after a while and the tension and angst of the past few days melts away. All seems right, as if this is where they belong, sharing this intimate moment. 

The universe seems to agree that things are now in proper alignment. Ben can feel Rey moaning into the kiss and at that exact moment, they feel a few drops of water fall between them. Startled, they break apart, still locked in an embrace, and look up to find the source. A few more droplets fall between them and their origin becomes clear. The drought is over after three months of no rain. It falls slowly in drips and drabbles at first as Ben and Rey look toward the heavens in wonderment and laughter. The sky soon opens up and it comes down in sheets, drenching the ground and offering much needed nourishment for the earth. 

Their clothes are beginning to get soaked, but they don’t care. Ben and Rey simply laugh and kiss again. The weather be damned, they right where they’re supposed to be. With each other. 

***

Nearly a year later, the leaves are beginning to change in New Jersey. The cool air has descended and the campus of Princeton University has been blanketed in a sea of yellow, gold and orange. Ben is walking across campus, taking in the whole scene. He breathes the crisp fall air into his lungs and pulls his jacket a smidge tighter. He’s traded in his football pads for the works of Tolstoy and Stevenson. He couldn’t be happier. 

If you would have told him a year ago, he’d _ actually _ be at Princeton instead of experiencing FOMO, he would have called you crazy. Ever since he first DM’d Rey, it’s been a crazy ride, but one he wouldn’t trade for the world. He’s about to go meet her after a long day of classes. She’s been begging him to binge watch the new season of _ Queer Eye _ with him and he’s finally relented. 

He’s about to knock on her door when he hears the tell tale sound of popcorn in the microwave. He smirks, shakes his head, and knocks. 

“Please tell me you’re not making popcorn again…” he says when she opens the door. 

“What? I wanted a snack!”

“Not at the expense of setting off the fire alarm again!” Ben retorts with a laugh. 

Rey rolls her eyes and backhands his arm playfully. 

“Hey!” he shouts in mock protest. 

“You’re supposed to be supportive and charming,” she grumbles in jest.

“I guess this is living happily ever after?” Ben laughs, slipping his arms around her waist. 

“Says who?” Rey chuckles, craning her neck slightly to look up at him. 

“I don’t know,” Ben says shaking his head with that Solo smirk. 

He kisses her good and long until the microwave beeps and he goes to grab the popcorn. If this is their version of happily ever after, it’s not too bad. Not too bad at all. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My Twitter](https://twitter.com/em_is_writing)


End file.
